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Intro: He's been acting since he was a little kid, yet Ryan Merriman is one teen star on the rise that has his feet planted firmly on the ground. We sat down and talked to him about his latest role in the new film, Luck of the Irish, how he maintains balance in his busy life, and what his dream date would be.
Tell us about the new film you're in?
Oh yeah, Luck of the Irish, it was great. We shot in Utah, which ws kind of a new experience, because most people when shooting outside of L.A, usually go to Canada. Everybody was so professional, and we actually ended up shooting at a high school, which was awsome because I ended up meeting some kids my age. I'm a senior in high school. I think that was the first show I've ever done with non-stop action. If I wasn't dancing, I was singing, I was playing basketball. If I wasn't playing basketball, I was doing stunt driving. It was just crazy. They worked my butt off on this movie.
It seems like they challenged you.
Oh yeah. It was a great challenge. They asked my agent in the beginning of the movie. "Can he dance? Can he sing? Can he do an Irish dialect?" My agent was like "yes, yes, yes." They were like "Oh my God. I can't believe that this kid can do all of this."
Do you find that you get noticed more now?
A little bit more now, but it's mainly by the younger girls because of Smart House and things like that, and seeing promos for Luck of the Irish. I mean, I did Deep End of The Ocean with Michelle Pfeiffer, a major movie star, and I get more recognition from doing Disney stuff like Smart House. I think it's great.
What was the most rewarding experience that you've had in working with past projects?
I'd have to say Just Looking. It was independent film that I did with Jason Alexander who directed it. I played a Jewish kid from the Bronx, and they were like three weeks into post, and they were about to shoot, and they could not find anyone from New York. So I sent in my tape...and they brought me into New York. I auditioned for them, and they were like, "You got the part," which was amazing. It was probably the most fulfilling role that I have ever done. It was just so cool. It was a lot like that movie Stand By Me. It was just a group of young kids who were kind of coming of age in the Bronx. It was set in 1952, which was cool. It was just awesome. It got really good reviews for what it was. It was just so much fun to do.
Would you be interested in doing some more independent films and period pieces?
Oh yeah, I love period pieces. It really brings a lot to the role without having to do anything. i have been very fortunate to have nothing but great projects to work on.
What do you find the most diffucult thing to do when you are acting?
The most difficult thing is just getting the role. Once you have the role, you just do your job and its fun. That is when I am most happy.
Do you go to a public school when you are home?
Yeah. I go to a public school in Oklahoma.
How difficult is it to maintain your focus on your acting career and moce forward as a teenage guy?
I would say that it takes a lot of focus, but for me, the best part about my situation is that when I am not working, I go right back to Oklahoma. Whenever I am in Oklahoma, I am not at all in the business. I go back and I hang out with my friends, and I go to the lake and take my boat out and just have some real fun. I think that is what kind of helps me along the way, because a lot times, people meet me and say, "Wow, you're so real when you are on camera," but that's because I am not jaded at all.
Is acting something that you are possessed by to the point where it is part of everything you do, or is it a separate part of your life?
Some people get pulled in. I mean, I love it, but if I'm not working, I'm doing whatever. I go skiing. I go to school. I have a 3.6 and I'm in the top third percent of my class. But it is really hard not to get caught up in the whole LA scene. I meet people who are like, "What have you worked in? What auditions are you working on? What are you doing next?" It's so stupid.
What are your goals for the next few years? What kinds of movies do you want to get into?
For the next few years I either want to get onto a series, or what I am doing now which is about three movies per year. What I have done for the past few years is stay really busy, and just be happy. It doesn't matter what you do. If you are doing seven movies, and you don't have time for friends or family, then you are not happy at all. As long as I am happy, I think I'll be cool.
Do you have a dream job?
Yeah. I think that it would be cool to be in a high school type of sitcom. And I think it would be cool to do a movie where I am the stud quarterback. That's the only thing that I haven't done yet, so I think that that would be cool. I am actually going to network on this Superman thing. That would be a cool thing to do. I'll be the young Clark Kent.
You mentioned sports before, and we know that you are very into sports. Do you like playing sports better than watching or vice versa?
I can't stand watching any sports except for football. I play football. I play basketball. I play hockey. I play soccer. I've been blessed to do pretty much anything.
So a dream role would be to have a role as an athlete?
Yeah. I think that would be cool, to play something from my life into it. In this movie (Luck Of The Irish), I was a star basketball player. That makes it so much fun to do the scenes, because you are doing what you love to do.
You love going home and being with your family and friends?
Yeah. Friends are really important to me, because I find in this business that sometimes people are very fake. It is very iffy out here trying to find real friends. That is why I appreciate what I have back home. I have real friends that I have had for about five years now. Those are the hardest years, junior high and high school, so you know that they are real friends.
Are you into music as well?
I'm really into listening to music. I don't play much. I play the drums, but that's it.
What are you listening to these days?
I listen to a little bit of Godsmack, and I love the Dixie Chicks. They're awesome. I listen to Nelly and Shyne too.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Actually, I just broke up with my girlfriend. We went out for five months, and we still talke and date, but I am officially single.
Was she someone in the business?
No. She was a girl back home. A beautiful girl, sweet. It was just really hard balancing business and a steady relationship. She is going to Oklahoma State University next year, and I'm going to the west coast.
What kind of girls grab your attention?
Definitely girls that are pretty, but if you don't have a good personality, it's not happening. I'm not trying to sound like, "It's all about what's inside," but if you meet a girl and she can't carry on an intelligent conversation, it's over. I have to say though, I like either short or tall girls. Someone different. I love girls who are as outgoing as me. I can't stand shy people.
What is your perfect date?
We'll start off in Honolulu on the beach, around sunset. There's a blanket with candles at each end, and dinner for me and the girl. We eat dinner watching the sunset go down, and go back to our room and get in the hot tub. After that, we'll lay in the hammock swinging and watching the stars. That would be cool.
So you would like a quiet experience?
Yeah. I'm not really into going to the club with the girl. I like to stay in, just she and I. There definitely has to be a hammock though.
Are you into the internet?
I'm on it. I have a website and everything, but I don't really get on it too much. I'm too busy doing other stuff. I'm too busy living. But every once in a while I'll check my email.
Do you check on fan sites and stuff like that?
Every month I go on my actual website and do an online chat, but I really only go on to check my mail from personal friends.
Are you a fan of anyone particular?
I have a Catherine Zeta Jones poster on my wall. She's so hot. There's Charlize Theron, who is unbelievable. That's my wife. I'm going to marry her. Is she going out with anybody?
Do you have a message for your fans?
Thanks for always being there for me. I hope you guys are enjoying everything that I am doing, having fun and having fun watching me have fun.
